Regina Bernhardt

BERNHARDT Regina Bernhardt, 79, died peacefully Tuesday, October 24 after a prolonged battle with LAM (a rare lung disease). Regina was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. She is preceded in death by her husband Harvey, her mother Rose Wakin, her father Boston Wakin and her brother Edward Wakin. She is survived by her sister Patricia Burnside; three children, Wes, Monica and Brad; two daughters-in-law, Holly and Melissa; seven grandchildren Danielle, Sarah Claire, Ben, Charlie, Aurora, Jack and Harvey; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Regina attended the University of Louisville where she graduated as a medical technologist and met her husband, the love of her life, over an autopsy. They married in 1967 and eventually moved to Jacksonville via NAS . As a team, Regina and Harvey founded and owned Bernhardt Labs in 1986.

Regina was known as the neighborhood mom and the team mom. She supported Harvey coaching numerous youth basketball teams over a twenty-year period. Additionally she supported her boys and all of their teams as well as her daughter's dance recitals.

She was a master party planner whose Halloween and Christmas decorations are known throughout their Deerwood neighborhood. Her Christmas parties were legendary and she enjoyed nothing more than celebrating with her friends, family and neighbors. Regina loved going out to breakfast, was a lover of animals, especially her many dogs and was kind to everyone she met.

Funeral services will be at Holy Family Catholic Church on Thursday, November 2, 2023. The viewing will be at 10:30, mass at 11:30 with a reception following at Deerwood Country Club. A private graveside service will be Friday at Oaklawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Harvey Bernhardt Foundation (www.theharveybernhardtfoundation.org), Holy Family Catholic Church, or Community Hospice.